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Olympic Trials, Twin Cities Pride highlight busy weekend in Mpls.
Downtown Minneapolis could see more than half a million people this weekend.
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s shaping up to be a busy weekend in Minneapolis, with multiple events expected to draw hundreds of thousands to downtown.
The U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials are currently underway at Target Center, with fan-favorites Simone Biles and Suni Lee in town.
“Minneapolis is already on the international stage, but right now, all eyes are on Minneapolis,” Kevin Kurtt, PR communications manager for Meet Minneapolis, said. “This is awesome, it’s a lot of fun looking over to my right, all these people taking pictures with the Olympic rings.”
The trials last through Sunday. Kurtt says they expect over 100,000 people throughout it’s duration.
“It’s busy downtown and we love to see it,” he said.
The other major event is Twin Cities Pride, held in Loring Park. That’s also expected to draw large crowds across it’s duration.
“We’re looking to see anywhere from six, 700,000 people throughout this weekend in this park,” J’Kalein Madison, board chair for Twin Cities Pride, said.
With that many people, expect to see some traffic in the area. Road closure signs are already up in Loring Park and near Target Center.
Madison says it’s a good sign of growth for the organization.
“Are we gonna grow out of the park? Like, what’s happening here?” Madison said, laughing. “I think that this is a testament to people finding this event, finding what this is. This is something they enjoy, that they feel comfortable coming to.”
So no matter what you decide to do this weekend, both Madison and Kurtt say it’s good to see people out.
“We want everyone to feel like they belong here, we want everyone to feel like they have a place here,” Madison said.
“The people who are not from here, and they’re from all 50 states and five continents, they look at Minneapolis and go hey, let’s come back and see a little bit more, and take in more of what we have to offer,” Kurtt said.
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Gymnastics fans came from across America to watch the trials in person and see the best athletes in the country.
MINNEAPOLIS — After a fun week of gymnastics excitement, the Olympic trials are wrapping up in Minneapolis.
The city hosted thousands of gymnastics fans from across the country this week.
Sunday night the Incline Gymnastics team from Highlands Ranch Colorado waited in line nearly two hours to watch night two of the women’s trials.
“This will be our fourth night coming here and waiting in line,” a teammate says.
The trials are a ticketed event with assigned seating, so the only benefit of waiting in line for so long is to get into the Target Center a few minutes earlier than everyone else.
“We just want to be there for a few extra minutes so we can watch warmups and be around the athletes for longer,” another teammate laughs.
Two gates down from them Beth Lillstrom had the same idea.
“We’re here to see warmups every night and then we have been in our seats until they kick us out. So, we’ve been those people,” Lillstrom laughs.
Lillstrom is also from Colorado.
She started competing in gymnastics in 1985 at the age of eight.
“I competed all the way through high school, and I’ve been a fan ever since,” Lillstrom says.
She may never get a chance to see the Olympics in person, but she says the Olympic trials are the next best thing.
“I’ve been getting lots of very thoughtful, kind offers on Instagram to go to Paris and these amazing hospitality options that I cannot afford, but I can come to Minneapolis and see this for four days,” Lilltsrom laughs.
Loretta Wickins and her daughter Macy traveled all the way from Missouri.
“We’re from a tiny town called Koshkonong Missouri,” Wickins says.
“So, coming to Minneapolis is a big city for us, but it’s been fun.”
Wickins says this is her 2nd time watching a world class team trial in person.
She traveled to watch the Gymnastics World Championship trials in 1999.
“It was fun back then, but they really make it fun now. I think USA Gymnastics has done a good job trying to make it more fun and more of a spectator sport,” Wickins says.
USA Gymnastics says the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis was their biggest event ever.
It was the first time the organization has held their four main events all at the same time, in the same city.
Besides the Olympic trials the organization also hosted their annual trade show and several competitions at the Minneapolis Convention Center this week.
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Troopers said two people died when an SUV struck a car, but the car’s driver took off from the scene.
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota State Patrol is searching for one of the drivers involved in a fatal collision on Saturday afternoon in Eagan.
Troopers said the driver of a Lincoln MKX ran a red light at the intersection of Highway 55 and Lexington Avenue, hitting the passenger’s side of a Volkswagen Jetta. Two passengers in the Jetta were killed; however, troopers say the driver of the Jetta fled the scene before law enforcement arrived and has not been located.
The names of the deceased have not been released. The driver of the Lincoln, a 41-year-old woman from Eagan, was not injured according to the Minnesota State Patrol’s initial accident report.
MORE NEWS: Worker finds body in Maple Grove on Saturday
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Authorities said the man had taken his grandchildren fishing and swimming Saturday when he drowned.
MIKANA, Wis. — Authorities in western Wisconsin said a 71-year-old grandfather died in an apparent drowning after saving one of his grandchildren from the water on Saturday.
According to a social media post by the Barron Co. Sheriff’s Office, the man had taken his two grandchildren fishing and swimming just below the Mikana Dam when one of the children started to struggle.
“Grandpa went in to help the kids, got them to where they could stand again and they made it to shore,” the post read. “For an unknown reason the male went under and drowned.”
First responders were initially unsuccessful in their efforts to find the man, until a dive team later recovered his body.
Authorities said both children were wearing life jackets and were safely out of the water.
The man’s identity has not been released.
MORE NEWS: Worker finds body in Maple Grove on Saturday
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
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